(1945-)

Who Is Tom Selleck?

Tom Selleck is an American actor whose first major role as Thomas Magnum in the hit 1980s detective series Magnum, P.I., earned him a Golden Globe and an Emmy. Selleck has also starred in movies like Three Men and a Baby (the highest-grossing film of 1987), Mr. Baseball and Quigley Down Under, with later television projects including Friends, Jesse Stone and Blue Bloods.

Early Life and Career

Thomas William Selleck was born on January 29, 1945, in Detroit, Michigan, with his family later moving to Los Angeles, California. A talented collegiate athlete who earned a basketball scholarship to the University of Southern California, Selleck supported himself as a model and won small parts in films and television projects during the 1970s once he decided to pursue acting. He was featured in a range of TV series that included The Wide World of Mystery, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Young and the Restless, Charlie’s Angels and Taxi.

Star of ‘Magnum, P.I.’

Selleck received his big break when he was cast in the starring role of CBS’s detective series Magnum, P.I., in which he played an easygoing private investigator. The top-rated show debuted in December 1980, and became a major hit, lasting for eight seasons and earning Selleck an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

Movies

Though he was blocked by CBS from starring in the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark due to series obligations, Selleck was eventually able to make his way to the big screen again. He appeared in the hugely popular Three Men and a Baby alongside Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg, with the comedy becoming the top-grossing film of 1987 domestically. Selleck later appeared in the 1990 sequel Three Men and a Little Lady as well as projects like Quigley Down Under (1990), Mr. Baseball (1992), In and Out (1997) and The Love Letter (1999).

‘Friends,’ ‘Blue Bloods’ and ‘Jesse Stone’

Starting in the mid-1990s, the actor enjoyed a successful run as a recurring guest on the hit sitcom Friends, playing the romantic interest of Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) and receiving an Emmy nomination for the role. In the new millennium, Selleck starred in a slew of TV movies that included the Jesse Stone series, in which he played a New England police chief. The actor received yet another Emmy nod for the part and served as executive producer for the films. Selleck also portrays a police commissioner who is part of a multigenerational family of officers in the drama Blue Bloods, which debuted on CBS in 2010.

Personal Life

Selleck was married to model Jacquelyn Ray from 1970 to 1982. He married his current wife, actress Jilly Joan Mack, in 1987. The couple has one daughter, Hannah Margaret.

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QUICK FACTS

• Name: Tom Selleck
• Birth Year: 1945
• Birth date: January 29, 1945
• Birth State: Michigan
• Birth City: Detroit
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Tom Selleck is an actor best known for portraying Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television series ‘Magnum, P.I.’ and for films that include ‘Three Men and a Baby.’
• Industries
• Comedy
• Sports
• Film
• Television
• Theater and Dance
• Astrological Sign: Aquarius
• Schools
• University of Southern California

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Tom Selleck Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/tom-selleck
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: March 29, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014